Gas, oil, and water separator.



No. 68|,369. Patented Aug. 27, l90l. F. P. NOURSE.

GAS, OIL, AND WATER SEPARATOB.

(Application filed Apr. 23, 1901.)

(No Model.)

v Fran /c P. 7101015 6,

FRANK ,P. NOURSE, OF ALEXANDRIA, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO HARRY V. OTTO, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS, OIL, AND WATER SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,369, dated'August 2'7, 1901.

Application filed April 23, 19011 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK P. NOURSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas, Oil, and Water Separators, of which the followingis a speci- 'fication.

The object of my said invention is to provide a means whereby water or oil and water will be automatically separated from natural gas as it flows from a well.

The essential feature consists of a Waterseal by means of which the escape of gas is prevented while permittingthe water or wa-' ter and oil to flow 01f. This is accomplished by means of a pipe leading from the bottom of the separating-tank to the space between the outer and inner Well-casings and extending down in said space to a point sufiiciently below the water level so that the waterpressure will overcome the opposing pressure of the gas, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a well and immediately adjacent parts provided with my sa'id invention.

The outer casing 1 extends down into the earth to the rock. The inner casing 2 extends substantially to the bottom of the well. The pipe 3 extends down into the well and is the pipe through which the gas emerges from the well, together with the water or water and oil driven out thereby. Theseare or may be all of the ordinary form and arrangement and need no further description.

'The pipe 3 leads down into a separatingtank .41 to a suitable point therein, generally near its bottom. The gas-pipe 5 starts from near the top of the tank 4 and carries soft the gas which has been separatedfrom the liquid. The liquid-discharge pipe 6 is connected to the separating-tank at at or near the bottom of said tank and 1eads.thence to the space between the outer and inner cas- -f.eet.

Serial No. 57,046.' (No model.)

ings 1 and 2 and thence downwardly into the water which is contained in said spaceto a sufficient depth therein, so that .the waterpressnre will exceed the pressure of the gas in the tank, and thus prevent the escape of gas through said liquid-discharge pipe 6 and compel it to pass 0E through the gas-pipe 5. I have found by experiment that the appropriate distance to which the lower end of the discharge-pipe 6 should be submerged is approximately two feet for every pound of gas pressure-that is, where, for example, the gas-pressure is forty pounds per square inch the lower open end of the discharge-pipe should be submerged approximately eighty By the arrangement described, as will be readily seen, the gas will be separated from theliquid and caused to pass off through the gas-pipe 5, while the liquid will pass through the pipe 6 into the space between the outer and inner casings of the well.

Having thus fully described my said inven tion, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with a gas-well having the usual outer and inner casings and gasdischarging pipe, of a separating-tank into which said pipe leads, a gas-pipe through which the gas may pass 01f from said tank, and a liquid-discharging pipe connected to the bottom of said separating-tank and leading thence between the outer and inner wellcasings and down into said space a distance sufficiently below the water-line therein that the water-pressure will exceed the gas-pressure and thus prevent the escape of gas through said liquid -discharging pipe, sub-.

stantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 16th day of April, A. D. 1901.

' FRANK P. NOURSE. [L. s.] Witnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD,

S. H. OoLvm. 

